Certain flat panel displays exploit the principle of frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) to induce the emission of light from the respective system. Such displays may be achieved through the utilization of microelectromechanical systems or nanoelectromechanical systems (often collectively referred to as MEMS). For example, one representative of FTIR-based MEMS devices may be a time multiplexed optical shuttering (TMOS) display. These TMOS devices may each be generally able to selectively frustrate the light undergoing total internal reflection within a (generally) planar waveguide. When such frustration occurs, the selected region of frustration may constitute a pixel capable of external control.